13 Emotions and reactions

A Strong desires
Pregnant women crave / have a craving for strange things like tuna and banana pizza! [want very
strongly]
Young children often seem to thirst / have a thirst for knowledge. [feel very strongly that you want]
Sometimes my cousin just yearns to be on her own with no family responsibilities. [if you yearn to
do / yearn for / have a yearning for something, it means that you want something that you do not have
and, often, can never have]
An Olympic gold medal is probably the most coveted sporting prize. [to covet something means to
want to possess it very much]

B Reacting to other people’s emotions

Lottie tried to defuse the tension by changing the subject. [make a dangerous or tense situation calmer]
Tim was very angry with his daughter and it took her a long time to placate him. [stop someone
feeling angry]
An independent advisor has been brought in to conciliate between the unions and the employer.
[end a disagreement between two people or groups by acting in a friendly way towards both sides; formal]
Although appeasing the enemy postponed the war for another year, it did not ultimately prevent
it from happening. [end a disagreement by giving the other side an advantage that they are demanding
(normally used in a disapproving way); formal]

Language help
A useful adjective from placate is implacable. It is used about someone’s opinions and feelings and
means that they cannot be changed, e.g. I cannot understand the implacable hatred that he still
feels for his old rival. (Note: placable doesn’t exist.)

C Being extremely happy

exultant: feeling great pleasure and happiness,
usually because of a success (more formal than
ecstatic) Sarah was in an exultant mood / was
ecstatic after her great exam results.
to rejoice: be extremely happy; formal Everyone
rejoiced at the news of her recovery.
jubilant: expressing great happiness, especially
at a victory; formal There were jubilant shouts as
the results of the referendum were announced.
bliss: perfect happiness (often collocates with
utter and sheer; adjective = blissful; the adverb
blissfully often collocates with happy, ignorant
and unaware) We had a fabulous holiday on a beautiful island – seven days of utter/sheer bliss.
They are blissfully happy even though they’re poor.
There are a number of informal expressions which mean to be very happy:
You look full of the joys of spring today. Why are you smiling all the time?
My daughter’s just had a baby girl. We’re thrilled to bits at the news.
I feel on top of the world. It’s great to have a job again.
I’ve been floating/walking on air ever since I heard I got into drama school.
A: How did you feel when you scored the winning goal?
B: I was over the moon!

32 English Vocabulary in Use Advanced

 Exercises
13.1 Choose one of the words below each sentence to fill the gaps.
1 I often find I sweet things when I’m studying, but I try to resist!
A thirst B crave C hunger
2 Martha is very good at difficult situations.
A placating B appeasing C defusing
3 Everyone is to bits that Karim was so successful in the competition.
A blissful B thrilled C exultant
4 If he has a tantrum, you mustn’t try to him. Don’t give in!
A conciliate B appease C defuse
5 When Jess retires, there will probably be a lot of internal applicants for what must be the most
job in the company.
A yearned B craved C coveted
6 Fortunately, her parents were ignorant of what was going on.
A jubilantly B blissfully C exultantly
13.2 Read the comments. Then answer the questions.
Rowan Katie

I just want to learn more I’m just longing to return to

and more about science, my homeland again. But I
history, everything. don’t think I ever will.

William Ashley

I’d give anything to own

that motorbike of Nick’s. Calm down, there’s no need to
It’s so fantastic! be so cross.

1 Who is yearning to do something? 3 Who has a thirst for something?

2 Who is placating someone? 4 Who covets something?
13.3 Match the sentence beginnings on the left with the endings on the right.
1 Lucy has been walking a on top of the world since he got his PhD.
2 Beth is full b unaware of all the problems.
3 Eva seems to be blissfully c to bits when he won the medal.
4 Everyone rejoiced d on air since she got her promotion.
5 Sam is feeling e when they heard that the war had ended.
6 His parents were thrilled f of the joys of spring.
13.4 Answer these questions.
1 If a politician talks about someone appeasing someone else, is he/she expressing approval?
2 Would fans be more likely to be called jubilant or blissful if their team won the World Cup?
3 If someone tried to conciliate between two neighbours who each claimed the other was too noisy,
what would that person be trying to do?
4 If you are trying to placate someone, is it likely that they are (a) angry or (b) over-excited?
5 If, after a conflict, someone is thirsting for revenge, is it likely they are ready to forget the conflict
or not?

13.5 Over to you

Think of an occasion (a) when you felt ecstatic about something, (b) when you had to defuse
a difficult situation, and (c) when you had to placate someone.

English Vocabulary in Use Advanced 33

14 Negative feelings
A Antipathies and aversions Language help
Antipathy is a feeling of strong, often active, dislike or opposition
towards something or someone, e.g. Antipathy towards the * Remember, the -ing form
government increased during the economic crisis. Aversion is a refers to the person or
feeling of intense dislike or an unwillingness to do something. It can thing that causes a feeling;
also refer to the person or thing which causes that feeling. It is often the -ed form refers to the
used in the phrase have/feel an aversion to, e.g. I felt an instant person experiencing the
aversion to the new manager. Arrogance has always been my pet feeling, e.g. The news
aversion. [the thing I dislike most of all] was distressing. I felt
Averse to means opposed to, usually used with not, e.g. I’m not distressed.
averse to a good night out. [I enjoy a good night out]

B Negative feelings
noun meaning adjective verb examples
loathing intense hatred loathsome loathe I just loathe people who tell lies.
abhorrence intense disgust abhorrent abhor We all find her behaviour abhorrent.
scorn lack of respect for scornful scorn There was a scornful note in his
something voice.
irritation a feeling of being annoyed irritating irritate Her comments gave me an intense
irritated* feeling of irritation.
distress a feeling of being distressing distress Being told that my best friend was
extremely upset or worried distressed* seriously ill was very distressing.
alarm a feeling of being very alarming alarm The advance of the enemy troops
worried or frightened alarmed* across the river was an alarming
development.

C Adjectives with negative connotations

She was very offhand with everyone. [showed a rude lack of interest in others]
The Director’s personal assistant can be very officious. [too eager to tell others what to do]
He makes very ostentatious displays of his wealth, with big, flashy cars, designer clothes, etc.
[displaying wealth or possessions in a vulgar way]
She’s become very pompous since she was elected to Parliament. [too formal and showing that you
think that you are more important than other people]
She boasts about reading philosophy books – she’s so pretentious. [tries to appear more serious or
important than she is]
What puerile behaviour! Grow up! [silly and childish]
Because I rushed it, my essay was a bit sloppy. [not taking care in the way you work; informal]
Jo can be very fickle. [changes her feelings suddenly without reason]
Oh, stop being so nit-picking! [too concerned about unimportant details; informal]
The customs officer was such an obnoxious man. [unpleasant and rude]

D Being extremely unhappy

I felt utterly dejected when I didn’t get the job. [unhappy and disappointed]
She looked forlorn, gazing into the distance. [sad, alone and not cared for]
I was devastated when I heard of the death of a good friend of mine. [very shocked and upset]
The missing child’s parents were distraught. The neighbours tried to calm them. [extremely worried
and upset]
You’re looking a bit down today. Anything wrong? [unhappy; informal]
He always looks so miserable and never seems to smile! [very unhappy]

34 English Vocabulary in Use Advanced

 Exercises
14.1 Rewrite the sentences using the form of the word in bold indicated in brackets. Make any
other necessary changes.
1 I am strongly averse to people who always want to be the centre of attention. (noun)
2 He’s always scornful of our amateur theatrical productions. (verb)
3 She has an abhorrence of injustice, wherever it occurs. (verb)
4 I do not have an aversion to a vegetarian diet. I’ve just never tried it. (adjective)
5 His attitude irritated me very much. (adjective) (two possible answers)
6 The news was alarming to us all. (adjective ending in -ed)
14.2 Answer the questions.
1 If you are distressed by a piece of news, are you (a) angry, (b) upset, or (c) depressed?
2 If you find something loathsome, what emotion do you feel towards it?
3 If someone feels antipathy towards another person, do they (a) just not like them, (b) feel
annoyed by them, or (c) actively and strongly dislike them?
4 If someone irritates you, do you feel (a) deep anger, (b) annoyance, or (c) hatred towards them?
14.3 Match the sentence beginnings on the left with the endings on the right.
1 We were distraught a so I offered to buy him a coffee.
2 She felt dejected b by the death of so many good friends.
3 He was looking a bit down c who rarely laughed or enjoyed herself.
4 They were utterly devastated d when our cat went missing.
5 She was quite a miserable person e because she failed the exam.
14.4 Add words to complete the sentences.
1 The palace was very , with gold ceilings and marble statues everywhere.
2 One of my friends is a bit ; he has a new girlfriend every week!
3 She thinks I’m because I like opera, but I think that’s unfair. I like pop music too.
4 The lawyers were very - when they were dealing with old Mrs Carson’s
complicated will.
5 The decorators were very and didn’t paint the kitchen properly.
6 He’s an person; absolutely nobody thinks he’s nice.
7 The receptionist was very with me, and didn't seem to take me seriously.
8 The Minister made a very speech, and seemed full of his own importance.
9 Their behaviour was silly and . I wish they would act more maturely.
10 The man at the museum was very , telling us to be quiet and not to touch
the exhibits.
11 She looked a bit because all her friends had gone to a party and she was not invited.
12 We were when our friends didn’t arrive and we heard there’d been an accident on
the motorway.

14.5 Over to you

• Name three things that you loathe doing.
• Are there any ideas that you find abhorrent? Why?
• Have you ever felt an instant antipathy to someone?
• Do you have a pet aversion? If so, what is it?

English Vocabulary in Use Advanced 35